Fall of Equestria: Bruised Apples

Big Macintosh stood outside the city limits of Ponyville, just short of reaching the first building. So many things made him want to stay away from the town: the glares that other stallions gave him, the mistreatment of mares on full display in the streets, and now the fear that as soon as he spoke to Gunne his sister would be taken away. The longer he stayed away from the town hall, the longer it would take for his fears to be confirmed and the longer Applejack could stay safe at the farm.

He couldn’t just stand there forever though; the caribou was expecting him to show up. If he kept him waiting it would be seen as a rude refusal, and Mac assumed he was already at the end of his rope when it came to the amount of times he could slip up. It would be one thing if he had shown any real enthusiasm for how things had changed; most other males weren’t hassled with inspection and were allowed to do as they pleased as long as it followed the basic principles of caribou society. Still, Mac just couldn’t see himself being involved in one of the twisted versions of old pony celebrations, let alone buying a slave, even though it might make things easier for him.

If Mac had to be honest with himself, he had resigned from ever setting foot in the town proper since the place turned. He even bumped up the price of delivery for his produce to make more stallions have to come to the farm to retrieve their fruits and vegetables. That was quickly reversed when he found out stallions were happy to walk the distance just for an excuse to stare at and heckle Applejack while she did her chores. Some, like Noteworthy, still kept at it afterwards.

Eventually, despite his every objection to do otherwise, Mac entered the town. Making his way to where Gunne was waiting for him, he kept his eyes to the dirt road, having seen enough things to offend him for the day already at Fluttershy’s farm. If he just didn’t look at anything and hurried along perhaps he would be fine. Maybe no one else would notice him either, though that was hoping for too much really seeing that he was one of the biggest ponies around.

“Hey Mac~” the clydesdale heard a pair of voices sing to him. Mac kept his head down, but from the sound of the voices it had to be Aloe and Lotus Blossom trying to get his attention. It had happened a few times before in the past, the two red-collared mares trying to lure him over for a little private time, or perhaps some not-so-private time if they had their way. Much like Roseluck, those two seemed to have only one thing on their mind whenever he saw them, or at least whenever they saw Mac.

He was starting to believe that there was some sort of weird bet going on between the red collar mares in Ponyville to see who would be the first one to get him to fuck them, as many of them acted similarly when he was around. They would blatantly touch themselves in front of him, try to show him how they played with some of their sex toys, or otherwise do lewd things in an attempt to entice him. If that was the case though, they would find the challenge more than they could handle. The sluttier a mare acted, the more it made him think of how many other guys must’ve stuck their dicks in them and that just turned him off to the idea even more. The only red collar he would even consider doing something like that with was Cheerilee, but that’s because no matter how many guys she fucked, how much cum she drank, or however many other terrible things she did during her duties for the caribou, she was still the Cheerilee he knew when they were in private.

So without so much as a turn of his head Mac sped up his pace, ignoring the spa ponies and the gazes from others on the street that the two mares had drawn to him. His only goal was to make it to his destination, something he was so focused on that he tuned out everyone else. He knew the town’s layout by heart, so all he had to do was keep walking. The town hall was just a little bit further and…

Just as he got to the front of the building he felt himself bump into something, something big, hard, and scaly. Finally lifting his head up, he peered into a pair of reptilian eyes. A purple and green scaled creature stood in front of him, right in the path of the entrance to the building. The creature was a dragon that was not much taller than Mac, perhaps a few inches, but shared a similarly muscular build.

“Spike…” Mac said, staring the dragon in the eye.

Spike let out a low growl, annoyed that anyone would have the nerve to run into him, even more so that a pony didn’t apologize for the transgression and still worse gave him a dirty look. The dragon leaned down a bit to get eye to eye with Mac before opening his lips ever so slightly to reveal his fangs.

Mac didn’t even blink, not intimidated by the dragon’s posturing. During the Fall, the caribou had done something to Spike. He had turned into a monstrous brute who simply saw mares as things for his amusement. He didn't even have the decency of respecting other stallions when it came to the ownership of their mares at times. If he saw a female he felt would go nicely wrapped around his shaft, he would make sure she found her way there. Given his newfound size and strength, no one put up too much of a fuss if he dragged their slave off to his den at Golden Oaks Library. Eventually he would get bored with them and move onto another mare, so many males didn’t see it as too much of a problem.

Mac saw things differently, not afraid in the slightest of what Spike might do if he didn’t get his way. As far as he was concerned, the dragon was an oversized teenager, unable to separate his hormones from his normal thoughts. He could outsmart Spike if he had to since he showed few signs of intellect behind those savage features. If push came to shove, Mac felt he might be able to get in enough good hits to make him think twice about trying to fight the stallion again

Even without thinking about what he’d do in a fight, Mac would find it hard to see the dragon as a threat, since not too long ago he could’ve picked Spike up one handed. While he knew better than to let his guard down for a ferocious creature that was bigger than he was, something about his mental image of Spike refuse to allow him to be afraid like the rest of the town.

For a while the two simply stared at each other, testing each other’s resolve, each waiting for a moment of weakness in the other that they could take advantage of. The other stallions saw what was going on, particularly just who it was that was instigating Spike. The prospect of seeing the two fight, and more specifically to see Mac get beaten, was more than they could resist. And so, little by little, a circle of ponies was formed around the two, some stallions bringing their mares with them to see the show.

The crowd cheered, shouting words of encouragement for Spike. Feeling their encouragement, the dragon stood up straight, placed a fist in one hand, and loudly cracked his knuckles. Mac was starting to see there was no way out of this; the stallions of Ponyville wanted to see a bit of his blood. It had never been this bad before, but perhaps it was a long time coming. He put up his fists, ready to take out a bit of his frustration. With all that had happened as of late, he wasn’t even sure he’d be able to control himself if he let loose, but if one thing was for sure he wasn’t going to throw the first punch. Not because he was relying on this being seen as an act of self defense; the stallions had such a poor opinion of him that he assumed they’d say he started all this anyways. Still, he was determined to show that he was the better man, even if that sentiment only mattered to himself.

One word begun to repeat amongst the onlookers, “Fight! Fight!”. It was time, both Mac and Spike knew it and since the stallion wasn’t going to make a move, it was up to the dragon to start this off. With a grin, he brought back his fist with the intent of sending a devastating haymaker to Mac’s head.

“What’s going on here!” A voice yelled over those of the crowds, garnering the attention of everyone there, Spike and Mac included. A caribou made his way through the crowd, tugging along behind him by chain a white, blue mained black-collared earth mare Mac knew by Vanilla Sweets, her wrists cuffed, her ankles shackled, and muzzle bound shut by a band wrapped tightly around it. “I leave for something as simple as retrieving a runaway slave, and I come back to find a riot.” said Gunne, making his disappointment known.

The conglomerate of male ponies began murmuring to themselves, not sure what to say to the caribou. They didn’t need to say anything; Gunne had a pretty good idea of what was happening as he looked at Spike holding up his fist and Mac readying himself to guard the attack. Gunne walked towards them both, placing himself aside them but not actually getting in between the two. “I don’t know what started this, but whatever it was isn’t worth the consequences. Besides….” Gunne extended his hand out to offer the chain he held to Spike. “I’ve caught your runaway mare. Teaching her a lesson for escaping in the first place would be more productive and pleasing than a fight.”

Spike shifted his gaze to the now trembling mare, licking his lips as he imagined what he would do to her. He gave Mac just one more look, taking the opportunity to blow a thick blast of smoke from his nostrils directly into the stallion’s face, making Mac cough until the cloud dissipated. Satisfied that he had gotten the better of the pony, Spike grabbed hold of the chain so that he could bring the defenseless mare before him closer. Slowly, almost as if savoring the moment, Spike pulled in chain. As the distance between him and the earth mare shortened, his cock poked out of his sheath, the size of it growing bigger as the chain grew smaller.

Vanilla pulled against the chain that was bringing her to the horny dragon with all her might, but it was not long until the she was right next to him. With no place to go, a moan came from her closed muzzle as the dragon leaned down to look her dead in the eyes. The mare’s ears went flat upon her head, fear overtaking her. Spike smiled at the sight, and uttered only one word to define his thoughts about the mare, “Pussy”.

Grasping the mare around the neck, he shoved her face into his dick, making sure that the pre-cum that was already flowing from the hard rod covered it completely. Vanilla made more noises to voice her displeasure from behind her closed mouth as it rubbed against her muzzle, pressing into her cheeks and along her nose so that she had to take in his masculine scent. Once he felt he had gotten every part of her face wet from his sexual fluids, the dragon released her throat, only to grab her by the waist, hoisting her body over his shoulder with ease in a display of his power. With the mare returned, Spike forgot all about Mac, glad to head back home so that he could use his new fucktoy for her intended purpose.

The crowd made way for the dragon and was about to disperse all together, but then Gunne raised his voice once more, “As for the rest of you!” He started, “I would’ve thought that I’d made it clear how we caribou do things. You may do what you please with your females, fuck them, beat them, throw them in the street for all I care, but under no circumstances are you infringe on the rights of another male. We are not savages, we are civilized creatures and will act as such. There are still laws, rules and regulations, and as magistrate of this town I will ensure they are followed. Now go back to your business. I don’t want to see another disturbance like this”

The ponies did just as they were told, none of them so much as bothering to pin the fight on Mac as they returned to their homes. Soon it was just Mac and Gunne left standing in the streets. Mac was not sure how to feel. It was the second time in two days that a caribou had saved him from the stallions who saw him as little more than a degenerate that held far too tightly to the past. The same caribou who groped AJ without any issue and just handed off a mare to be violated by Spike ‘til he grew disinterested in her. It was an odd predicament, to feel indebted to someone whose sense of right and wrong was so vastly different from his own.

“Well…” Gunne said, seeing that things had calmed down. “That was something. I’ve had trouble with the dragon in the past, but never the entire town at once. You seem to attract the ire of your peers Mr. Macintosh.”

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Mac apologized, still unsure about the purpose of the meeting Gunne had scheduled with him. Not letting him take his fair share of licks from Spike was a good sign, but he couldn’t assume anything yet. “Ah can tell ya what happened if ya need an explanation.”

“Not at all, “Gunne said, “I got here before anything happened, and I have a feeling it was more the dragon’s fault than anyone else’s. As I said, he can be a bit problematic at times, but as magistrate it is one of my many duties to make sure that he’s kept in check. Now come on, we can continue this discussion in my office.” Gunne stepped up to the town hall, opening the door for the stallion. Mac, unable to put this off any longer, stepped inside with a foreboding sense of unease emanating from his depths.

The first thing that met the stallion’s eyes was how the ground floor of the building had been altered. The scene was a dungeon-esque, cages hanging from the ceiling beams, metal wrist shackles bolted into the walls and metal rings drilled into various spots in the floor, each with a heavy chain attached to them with a clip on the end to insert into a collar.

Some of these were even in use, as several mares were held captive. The only one without a discouraged look on her face was a red collared pegasus in one of the cages, bound by several thick belts that held her legs together, as well as secured her her arms behind her back under her wing binders. She was flailing about, moaning and panting something fierce as a large rod vibrated inside her pussy. It was exactly what Mac was trying to avoid seeing when he went through the town, and it took all his will to not reveal his shock at the sight to the caribou next to him.

“Strays,” Gunne said, taking the look on Mac’s face as curiosity, “Being held here until the local pound comes to retrieve them. Some males are so wasteful with their things. Mister Rich brings in mares all the time only to throw them away a month later. His choice, but some of these girls are attractive enough to earn a place in some stallion’s home. Perhaps you would like to adopt one? The pegasus up there is energetic and very receptive; I stuffed her with a vibrator before I left on the dragon’s errand and she’s still going at it.”

Mac shook his head, “No thanks… I have my hands full already,”

“Suit yourself,” Gunne replied, making his way to a set of stairs in the back of the room. Big Mac followed behind, giving the mares a pitying look. It was one thing to have to be treated like a slave or something that only exists to be fucked, but it was another thing altogether to have stacked on top the idea that you were easily tossed away like garbage too. Just another reason not to take Filthy up on his offer to train AJ, since he didn’t even treat mares with enough dignity to keep them after he was done raping them. Just thinking about it made Mac feel dirty that he still associated with Filthy.

Following the caribou to the second floor, Mac was relieved that it wasn’t just more of the same. This floor looked mostly unaltered, looking like a normal office, except with a few decorations strone about it of caribou origin. Things like stone tablets covered in caribraic runes and art pieces depicting what Mac assumed was the caribou’s homeland hung from the walls, a bookshelf full of a tomes written in caribou symbols and books written in after the conquest of Equestria, and a small pod that looked suspiciously like a miniature version of one of the tentacle plants at his farm which was resting on a table covered in scrolls. While none of these particularly upset him, the room wasn’t completely void of things that bothered Mac though; one such thing being the previous mayor of Ponyville.

The surprisingly pink-maned mare had her back turned away from the door, hunched over as she feveriously tried to clean off the caribou’s bookshelf with a feather duster placed in her mouth. Because of his absence from the town, Mac hadn’t seen many of the mares for some time and it still shocked him when he would see one walking around naked and even when he would see a girl he knew for years unexpectedly wearing a red collar, but seeing the mayor’s hair in anything other than grey was one of the most off putting things he had seen so far. The natural color of her hair clashed with her brown fur and was an incredibly unflattering look for her, perhaps so much it could be considered an eyesore. As humiliating as it might of been for her to have to show her admittedly embarrassing mane color, Mac felt she had much more pressing matters to worry about with the way Gunne kept her bound.

Her arms were behind her back and had been placed into an armbinder, one that he believed was called an arm sleeve, as it enveloped both her arms and forced them to be held straight and stiff. With her bent over as she was Mac could also see the end of a large anal plug sticking out of her rounded rump. It looked rather uncomfortable, and fleshy ring of her anus looked stretched, and periodically tried to clench down in an attempt to return to normal size.

The other thing that was bothering Mac was next to an oak desk at the far wall of the room. Kneeling there was the caribou girl that Gunne brought his farm earlier; Mac thought he remembered the male caribou calling her Ginna. She was very busy occupying herself, bouncing up and down on an odd looking object standing up from the floor and placed inside her wanting snatch. It was a dildo, obviously, but a bit different from the smooth ones he was used to seeing on the farm. From the looks of it, there were huge bumps all over it that brushed against the caribou cow’s soft lips with each movement and undoubtedly rubbed her insides. There also seemed to be a ridge of taller nubs across the front of it, each one grinding against the female’s clit one by one in rapid succession every time she slammed herself down.

“Mare!” Gunne said aloud, startling the poor black collar, “You’ve done… adequately for now. We have a guest, and I need you to get me that file I spoke of earlier.”

The earth mare turned and opened her mouth to let the colorful, and presumably pegasi made, feather duster made fall from her mouth onto the bookshelf. Now visible, the handle had been carved into the shape of stallion’s cock and stood straight up in the air balanced on the feathers, making it easy for a mare in her position to pick it back up and return to work the next time she was bid. With the feather duster removed, the mare made her way to a rather large file cabinet, giving a rushed “Yes sir!” as she hurried along.

“Do excuse her. As a mare, she was entirely unfit in her former role as mayor of this town. I took ownership of her when I was first stationed here and have been trying my best to train her as a secretary, but black collars will be black collars.” Gunne went around the desk and sat down in a red, plush seat that the caribou sunk into slightly as he relaxed. “Please… sit down. There is much to talk about.” He said as he leaned into the back of his chair.

Mac scratched his head, for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what the mayor had done wrong. As he sat down across from the caribou, in a chair that he noted paled in comparison to the caribou’s own, he could only come to the conclusion it was just Gunne putting her down just because she was a black collar.

Even now she was doing her best to obey, though her arms were heavily restrained. The sleeve forced her to drop to her knees and bite down on the handle of one of the cabinet drawers, pulling back with her head in order to get it open. Once opened, she stepped beside it and shoved her face inside in order move the files inside around, all the while being watched by Gunne. Mac tried to follow his gaze, leading the stallion to the earth mare’s heavy breasts, the pair of mammaries bouncing against the side of the drawer each time she used her muzzle to sift through it. Even in the middle of what was suppose to be an important conversation the caribou couldn’t keep his mind off sex.

A sudden, loud moan of climax drew Mac’s eyes away from the mare, redirecting them to the caribou girl aside the desk. “T-Thirt-ty s-sev-en…” She said, the trembling in her voice stating clearly that she had came.

“Thirty seven?” Gunne questioned, likewise pulling his eyes away from the cabinet and the earth pony rooting through it. “That’s very good Ginna,” After congratulating the female caribou, he placed his hands between her antler nubs and petted her lovingly. He did this for a minute, visibly satisfied by the happy smile the caribou girl returned to him, before catching Mac sending him a look. Sensing the stallion’s impatience, the caribou adjusted himself in his seat. “Ahem... How unprofessional of me. I’m just very proud of my Ginna. She’s been at this for a few hours now and she’s supposed to announce the number of orgasms she’s had during a session every time she has one. I hope that won’t be too distracting.”

To say she was distracting would be an understatement. Her body quivered with pleasure, the scent of her soaked pussy permeated the room, and her breaths were so raspy that he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to hear Gunne talk. On top of that, she was already going at it again, pumping herself on her toy without concern for her own tired state.

“It’s fine,” Mac lied, “She’s not bothering me.”

“Very well, then all we’re waiting on is for that file. Mare, have you found it yet?” Gunne said, tapping his finger on the desk as he looked back towards the cabinet.

“I’ve almost got it,” The earth mare replied, a fear in her voice that told Mac that if she kept the caribou waiting it wouldn’t lead to anything good. How long had she been with him? It hadn’t been that long since the caribou occupied Equestria, but it appeared it was long enough to have the once-respected government official worried that she wasn’t performing to the standards Gunne held for her. In desperation she clamped her teeth down on the file once found and rushed over to Gunne, releasing the folder only when he had a firm grip on it.

He inspected the outside of the file once in his possession, checking the front and back of its cover, before letting out a sigh of disappointment. “Teeth marks... “ Gunne showed the file covering to his slave, pointing out a visible indent accompanied by a few droplets of spit. “You know this is unacceptable Mare.”

“I’m sorry,” The earth pony said, backing away slightly, “I was worried I was being too slow and-”

“You were correct to worry,” said Gunne, raising out of his seat, “You were taking far too long, but in the condition this is in I’m going to have to send out for a replacement. The punishment you would’ve received for being slow is nothing to what you’ll get for being reckless.”

Mac could see the tears forming in the mare’s eyes, and yet she didn’t try to run or even dispute how unfair that line of thinking was. Mac understood why; any back-talk and whatever he had planned would become something twice as bad, if she was lucky.

Gunne, unmoved by the crying mare, placed the file in front of him and opened it. “I’d punish you now Mare, but you’ve wasted enough of our guest’s time already. Just wait in your corner till I need you again. When me and Mr. Macintosh are done I’ll deal with you.”

The earth pony gave a slight nod and walked over to a stool in one of the corners closest to the door. She sat down, making a low groan when her rump touched the stool and pushed the toy in her ass deeper inside. She shifted around, doing whatever she could to find a position that wouldn’t be uncomfortable. It didn’t take long for her to abandon that goal, finding it impossible to her ass crammed full as it was, and instead focused on the “motivation” posters pinned on the wall in front of her to take her mind off her discomfort, each one depicting a red collared mare in the middle of doing some demeaning task, expressing the importance of obedience, or otherwise demonstrating the new caribou values. The one directly in front of her had “Good mares are well kept mares" printed on it in bold red letters over the image of a mare smiling back at her, laying comfortably on a plush, mare-sized pet bed.

“Good, now we can get to the matter at hand.” Gunne stated, picking up the first sheet in front of him. “This is your personal file Mister Macintosh, containing all the information the caribou have gathered on you.”

Mac’s unease skyrocketed. The caribou had been collecting information on him? What did those sheets say about him exactly? His mind filled with things that the other stallions might have said about him; did they think he wasn’t doing everything he could to keep his mares in line, maybe seeing it as signs that he was a female sympathizer or perhaps even a member of the rebellion? He could feel himself turning a lighter shade of red with each passing second.

“Don’t be so surprised Mister Macintosh,” said Gunne, “We caribou have gone to great lengths to keep records on every pony in Equestria, both male and female. It allows us to know who is loyal to the caribou cause… and who might be liable to start trouble.”

The ominous tone in Gunne’s voice began to make Mac shake in his seat, this was starting to seem like trap, like the caribou wanted to bring Mac here to safely bring him into custody. For all he knew there were guards waiting just outside the town hall, ready to bring him down by force if need be.

Gunne didn’t seem to notice the stallions complete lack of a poker face, instead focusing on the sheet in his hands. “Name: Big Macintosh, A.K.A. ‘Big Mac’, Mane Color: Blond, Fur Color: Red, Residence: Ponyville. Yup, this appears to be you. At least my secretary can do something right.” Gunne chuckled slightly at his remark about the black collar before continuing. “Status… Mac, can I call you Mac?”

The stallion nodded, not willing to risk the ire of the caribou.

“Let me be straight with you, I’ve read your file perhaps a dozen times now. I know why you threatened to beat the blue stallion that was at your farm yesterday, and why you’ve gone to great lengths to prove to me that you’re doing your part to keep your sister in line.” Gunne placed the paper on the table, turned it around so it would be right-side up for Mac to read, and pushed it towards him.

Mac took the paper in hand and lifted it off the table. The caribou surely wanted him to read it for himself, but he had a good idea what it said already. Skimming down the information, he got to the part that Gunne had stopped at. Status: Mentally Deficient.

“I’m very aware of your illness Mac,” Gunne explained, “That you suffer from a condition brought upon by what is assumed to be a prolonged exposure to an all female family with no direct male influences. That it’s caused you to have an unnatural amount of respect for females in general. I also know that you’ve been doing your best to overcome that disability, doing everything that we’ve asked of you. On behalf of King Dainn, I would like to thank you for your compliance.”

Mac almost didn’t register what the caribou said, set on this being a worst case scenario. To hear the caribou say that he believed Mac was trying to abide by the new order was almost surreal, but at the same time greatly relieved the clydesdale, With the tension removed, Mac felt all of the muscles in his body start to relax all at once, expressing his sudden comfort with an powerful exhale. “Thank goodness, Ah thought you were going to arrest me.”

“Don’t misunderstand me Mac, I am authorized to do just that if I felt you were a threat to the caribou regime in any way.” The caribou picked up another piece of paper from the file, “And your fellow stallions certainly seem to think so with your tender approach to training your slaves. Some have even said that you’re dangerous, telling stories that they saw you once moved a house with nothing but a rope tied around your waist.” The caribou let out another chuckle at the notion. “But surely that has to be an exaggeration.”

Mac neither confirmed or denied the statement about his alleged strength. The caribou already knew too much about him, and he did want that to include exactly how strong he was as well.

“But it does say here that when we came to your farm to inform you of your liberation from the former monarchs of this kingdom, you got into a fight with our soldiers upon hearing what we had done with your sister, the mare known as ‘Applejack’, managing to knock five unconscious before the rest overwhelmed and subdued you. From there you were taken in for your psychiatric evaluation where you were deemed “incurable” by the stallion psychiatrist appointed to you.”

Mac’s expression turned grim as he heard that term, he had heard it directly from other caribou before, when they passed judgement over him. They told him of all the possibilities that could come from his perceived mental status, starting with small things like being assigned a personal probation officer to ensure he didn’t do anything the caribou would object to and ending with the possibility that they might have to “switch” him, which they explained meant that he would be put into some device that they had that would use some sort of magic to turn him into a mare so that he could live out the rest of his life as a sex slave. Seeing how he had so aggressively assaulted several caribou soldiers Mac figured the latter was the most likely outcome. Going against every moral objection he had towards the caribou, Mac shamefully threw himself at the mercy of the court, pleading for them to have mercy and promising that he wouldn’t do anything to buck the system. There was nothing to be gained if he allowed himself to be “switched”, except perhaps a lifetime of pain and misery.

His continued existence as a stallion told what decision they had come to, but they didn’t choose to spare the stallion entirely. They made sure that everything he did from that point on was for the benefit of the caribou’s empire, having him take over the farms in Ponyville, releasing Applejack into his custody under the stipulation that he treated her as the slave she now was, and reporting everything he did directly to the government. In retrospect, it was perhaps the worst decision he had ever made, one that ate away at his very being. Without it though, who knows what terrible things would’ve happened to all the mares he had at his farm.

“Incurable… is a strong word Mac,” Gunne continued, “And one that I don’t really believe in. If I did, I would’ve shipped you off to Canterlot to be switched the moment I read your file. But you seem like an upstanding stallion, and I can see that you are making efforts to conform. You may run into a few bumps along the way, but I see nothing that makes me want to cut down such a fine masculine specimen in his prime. We would much rather have you with us as a male than under us as a woman.”

“Well thanks for trusting me… Ah think…” Mac was still a bit baffled by this whole situation. The caribou looked like he was being sincere, but again just like on the farm Mac couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to this. If not, then why have him come all this way for nothing?

“Mare, make me and our guest a few drinks. I’m in a good mood, so if you serve well I’ll consider lessening your punishment.”

The brown mare carefully lifted herself off her stool at the caribou’s command, the large object inside her making each motion ache. The notion of a lessened punishment was a good motivator, but not so much as the unspoken alternative of if she did poorly or chose not to obey. Her master worked on a system of merits and demerits, so her every action either made her life better or worse, never staying on even ground. For the simple mistake of using her hand to do a chore without her master’s express permission she earned the arm binder she wore. The plug in her ass was added when she refused one of her “rewards” for good behavior, and until the day before she had to wear a achingly large gag in her mouth for saying no to an order to orally pleasure his caribou slave.

So when she was told to make some drinks she automatically translated it to “Make some drinks, or else”. She went to a cabinet containing a metal tray, a couple of small glasses and a bottle of cider. The earth mare wanted to get this right, knowing that she had to be fast while at the same time not make a mess of things. She contemplated on how to do this for only a moment, settling on the first idea that came to her.

She started by carefully setting the glass cups on top of the tray with her teeth, her still bound arms completely unable to aid her in the task given to her. Next, she took the side of the tray into her mouth and carefully took it over to Gunne’s desk, setting it down at one of its ends. After that, she rushed back to retrieve the bottle, cocking her head sideways and grabbing it by its neck with her muzzle. Making haste back to the tray, she set the bottle next to her owner, the cap needing to be removed to be able to pour it.

“Hmmm… not exactly how I taught you, but still efficient and creative.” Gunne said as he etched a small rune into the metal cap with his thumb. With a glow of his antlers the rune glowed with magical energy, and the cap folded in upon itself till it rolled right off the top. “You did well, now pour the drinks and then be on standby if we need more.”

“Yes sir, thank you sir.” The mare said before placing the neck of the bottle in her mouth once more, carefully pouring the glasses full, then setting the bottle on the tray. With the order given to her completed she knelt down on the floor, bowing her head down while awaiting the inevitable request for a refill. Mac’s eyes were drawn to her though, noticing the subdued demeanor of the mare as contrast to that of the caribou girl who was still panting and letting out small yelps as she pounded her sopping pussy on her toy. Gunne looked to have a taste for variety in his females, at least from what Mac could see.

The stallion, pulling his gaze from the mayor, watched Gunne take a glass from the tray and then took the one that remained, figuring it was expected of him. “I’m a little confused by all this,” He said taking a sip, the taste of apple cider splashing against his tongue, “Are ya saying that ya don’t care that Ah…. feel the way I feel about all this?”

“Not so long as you don’t cause any problems, and so far you’ve done what the higher ups request of you. Even with your odd mindset you understand that things are different now; as far as I’m concerned that’s just as good,” Gunne gulped down his drink in one draft before going on, “So what if you’re protective of your property? There are other stallions that choose to keep their mares to themselves and take offense to when someone else hurts them without permission. Like I said before, a hiccup here and there is not going to be the end of the world so long as overall you stay on the right path. I’ve taken your condition into consideration and have tried my best not to upset you by unduly disciplining my pets.” As he finished speaking, Gunne placed his glass back on the tray. “Mare, refill.”

“Ya know, if you’re trying not to upset me then calling her ‘mare’ isn’t helping much,” said Mac.

Gunne gave the stallion an odd look as the earth mare poured him another drink, but soon turned it into a bemused smile. “Mac… that’s her name.” The stallion was taken aback, the caribou was right, “I think that you're trying to find faults where there are none, but I won’t hold it against you.”

Mac took another sip of his drink as he composed his thoughts of the caribou. It had been a long time since he had met another guy who didn’t outright hate him or at the very least tried to convince him to change. “So… you don’t mind if I say what I want about what’s going on?”

“Well if I were you, I wouldn’t go about telling other stallions that you want the women to be treated as equals, but how about this. From now on, if you have any thoughts you want to get off your chest then come here to me. I might not agree with them, and I’ll certainly give you my own thoughts on the matter, but on my honor as a loyal soldier under King Dainn I promise that nothing of what is said or done in this office will leave it.”

Come to him if he had something to get off his chest huh? Sounded like the caribou was fishing for information. Yet, having someone to talk to was tempting. Perhaps he could test the waters, say something that the caribou already kinda knew in order to gauge how he’d react. What harm could that do?

“Okey, then Ah want to say something right now. Ah don’t think I’ll ever get used to all of this. Ah just can’t see myself doing it. With everything I’ve seen, everything your people have done to mah family and friends; it just tears me up inside, especially since Ah have to do it mahself and to mah own sister.” Mac braced himself for what Gunne had to say, expecting to receive a lecture in return. He had to admit though, it did feel good to finally speak his mind and to a caribou no less.

Gunne closed his eyes, working out what he would say to the stallion in his head, “Yes… your sister does seem to be the center of a lot of your problems. You care for her, but she doesn’t seem to care enough to worry about you.”

“What are ya getting at?” Mac asked, not liking where the caribou was taking this.

“I’ve looked at her file; she’s a troublemaker, pure and simple. Sure, she might go along when it comes to the things that she feels concerns her, like that farm work she enjoys doing, but when it comes to doing something for your sake she has to act stubborn and resistant, even though she knows that it only attracts more trouble for all of you.”

“You’ve got it all wrong,” Mac replied, going to Applejack’s defense without a second thought, “You don’t understand what she’s been through.”

“I understand well enough,” said the male caribou, his voice calm “She used to be one of the symbols of this nation, a representation of your old society. Now she has been brought down to where nature itself says she belongs and it doesn’t sit well with her. So she’s defiant, refusing to submit when others like her did so happily.”

“Oh for crying out loud….” Mac muttered, frustration setting back in.

“Please Mac, don’t be angry. I’m giving you the right to express your opinion, grant me the courtesy to do the same,” Gunne took his glass once more, this time only sipping at it, mimicking what Mac was doing with his own glass, “But I’m glad you brought her up.”

“You are?”

“Yes, as I said she is one of your biggest problems. While my superiors aren’t telling me to do much with you except keep an eye on you, they are very interested in her progress, or lack thereof. Even the pink one submitted over time, with the right things to motivate her, but your sister is still an issue and your approach with her is what’s being blamed.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mac asked, pretty sure that he wouldn’t like the answer.

“It means that some of the higher ups think they could do better and if she doesn’t show improvements soon, she could be taken away from you and put into the hands of someone more qualified.”

With that Mac’s realized his worst fears were close to coming true. They were planning on taking Applejack away from him, and he didn’t have much time left.

“I’m only telling you this because I know she means a lot to you, so if you want to keep her you might have to take some extreme measures. I have a few suggestions that might work, like maybe hiring a professional mare trainer. For quicker results you could try some psychotropic drugs, there are plenty that would make her more submissive or even eager to serve. If money is an issue you could just let one of the town stallions impregnate her. Carrying a child will slow her down, which would be an improvement from her trying to get a man trampled.”

Mac raised his hand, “Please…. stop,” He couldn’t stand thinking of doing what the caribou was trying to suggest to AJ. “Ah could never do anything like that.”

“And why not?” Gunne asked, “You want to keep her safe, right?”

“You don’t understand…. Ah grew up with her…. watched over her since she was young… It‘s just… not something a caribou can get….”

Gunne tapped his finger a few times on his desk, then got up from his seat. He headed straight for door, opening it wide. It looked like he had heard enough from Mac, and had gotten the information he needed from him. The stallion put his hands on the arms of his chair, ready to leave, but then he heard Gunne say “Mare, you’re excused. Go downstairs and find something to occupy yourself.”

The earth mare rose to her hooves, unsure why she was being allowed to leave the room, but happy to be able to have some time away from the caribou. The moment she was past the doorway, he closed and locked the door.

“Mac…. There is a reason I’ve taken a special interest in you.” Gunne stepped over to his bookshelf, grabbing one of the large tomes from it. “You’re a hard working pony who does everything in his power to keep those he cares about safe. In a way it’s commendable, even if it’s for misguided reasons.” The clydesdale watched the caribou flip through the pages of his book, not even making the effort to make it look like he was looking for anything specific. “Tell me, do you know anything about caribou culture?”

“Ah take it ya mean aside from what I’ve seen,” Mac replied, “Not really, no.”

“Then let me tell you that we aren’t all that different. Just like you ponies, we had cities full of men who worked tirelessly to maintain their homes and raise their offspring for their appropriate roles in life, until they sell off their daughters of course, if they choose to do so. Like any man, we do what we have to in order to keep the things we hold dear.”

“You’re trying to convince me that the your way of living is the same as what I’m doing?” Mac took offense that Gunne would even suggest such a thing.

Gunne, picking up on the Mac’s change of tone, closed his book to return his attention to the stallion, “We might have different views on ‘right and wrong’, but I see a lot of myself in you. You come from a long line of farmers, my father was a hunter himself. The two professions are not dissimilar; they both depend on strong men that earn a living from the land.”

Mac was having a hard time seeing how this vague similarity gave Gunne the right to say that they were anything alike. He might as well of said they were the same because they both had hooves. "Somethin' as simple as that makes ya think we're one in the same?"

“That’s not all,” said Gunne as he set his book back onto the shelf and returned to his seat, “I hate to bring this up, considering how personal it is, but I recall your file saying that while you were young your father and his mare had gotten into a terrible accident, killing both of them. While not at as young an age, my father too died because a tragic accident during one of his hunts.”

The caribou was entering dangerous territory. The situation with Applejack was something he has come terms with to some degree, but if Gunne dared to besmirch his parents who had thankfully passed away long before the caribou arrived then he couldn't be responsible for his actions.

“And just like you, when my father passed it was up to me to step forward and take responsibility for my life and the things I hold dear.”

“Ya know,” said Mac, “Before y’all came along mah sister ran everything on the farm.”

“I’m sure you think that’s true, but I think we both know who kept things going there.” Gunne remarked with a smirk, “I mean if you look at the both of you its obvious which one among the two of you is more capable. You both come from the same parents, but even if Applejack is strong for a mare , you’re clearly the more powerful between the two. It’s just the way it is.”

Mac stayed silent, arguing with the caribou was getting him nowhere. The two just had too different of mindsets, their opinions almost exact opposites from one another. He could spend all night trying to get the caribou to see his side, toss up argument after argument supporting it, and Gunne would still try to counter it with his backwards logic. At this point, all he wanted was to leave, to get the creature in front of him out of his sight. “Okey, ya gave me your side of it. Is there anything else, or can Ah go?”

“That’s everything. You’re free to go, but I hope that you can see now that we are more alike than you once assumed.”

Mac didn’t, and no matter what Gunne said he would never agree with that sentiment. Getting out of his seat, he went to the door and placed his hand on the knob.

“Mac,” Gunne said when the stallion reached the room’s exit, “What do you plan on doing about your sister? How will you make her do what she has to do?”

The stallion gave it some thought, “I’ll talk to her, tell her to straighten up. If that doesn’t work…. well then I’ll deal with what comes when it comes.”

As Mac went out the door, Gunne couldn’t help but feel a powerful sense of foreboding from what he had said. Sooner or later, AJ was going to act up again, do something that Mac would have to suffer the consequences for. He hadn’t lied when he said that he could identify with how Mac felt, for more reasons that the stallion knew, and didn’t want him to throw his life away because of one mare. “There’s another way,” He called out just before the door closed completely.

The door stopped just short of shutting, and then opened up once more. Mac didn’t know why he did it; perhaps he just felt that his situation was hopeless, that there was no way to stay the course and at the same time keep AJ at the farm, but something inside the stallion made him push the door back open. “What are ya’ sayin?”

“There is another way that you could keep your sister in your possession without having to do anything worse than what she’s done already.”

Mac was skeptical, as he had been from the start of this meeting, but desperate. The caribou couldn’t have anything good in mind, but hearing him out at least couldn’t hurt. “Then what are ya suggesting?”

“You need to make your sister a red collar.” said Gunne, his face completely deadpan.

Grimacing, Mac turned around and started to leave again, “Ah knew it...”

“No, listen to me,” implored the caribou, “What I’m trying to say is that if your sister wore a red collar it would make life easier for her on the whole. She would be considered tamed, submissive, and most of all willing. So if you want to keep her safe, she needs to get one… even if it’s under false pretenses.”

Mac came back into the room, went up to the desk and placed his hands on the top of it as he looked Gunne in the eye. “Ya mean lie?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean,” Gunne replied, “Most of the stallions only go after her because of the challenge she presents, each one wanting to be the one to break her. Take that away, and they’ll lose interest.”

Mac could see the caribou’s point, but he still wasn’t convinced about this idea. “So what, just go git a red collar to replace the one around her neck?”

“If you were her owner it might be that simple, but your sister is a state owned mare. Because of that it’s up to the government to decide when she’s ready.”

“So it’s impossible to get her one.” Mac said, getting a sneaking suspicion that he was getting jerked around.

“Impossible, no. Difficult, well that depends on your sister’s acting talent.” Gunne leaned back in his seat, tenting his fingers together. “I saw her ‘apology’ earlier. Not the best performance, but it’s passable and can be improved on over time. If she can be convincing, and by that I mean start publicly acting like an obedient mare who knows her place and purpose, who’s willing to prove it by giving her body out freely and taking humiliation without showing resentment… it’s possible.”

“Ah don’t know, this still doesn’t seem right.”

“It’s not about what’s right or wrong Mac, it’s about what you have to do to keep her safe.” Gunne personally didn’t care about what happened to Applejack, but he had to appeal to Mac’s sense of responsibility towards the mare. “It’s not like this is a unique situation either, there are other mentally deficient stallions out there, and some of them have forced their loved ones to become red collars as well. There’s even one in Ponyville that has done the same to his wife.”

That caught Mac’s attention, “There’s another stallion like me here? Who?”

“I’m sorry, I’m not at the liberty to divulge that information. The point is that this is the only way that you're going to be able to keep your sister. A red collar isn’t going to solve all your problems; even with it she’ll still have to show that she’s a good mare from time to time to keep up the illusion, but once she has it things should become easier for the both of you. Just think it over, it’s all I ask.”

“Ah… Ah will…” It would be hard not to think of the options given to him with a looming threat hanging over his head. The stallion headed for door once more, this time not being stopped when he closed it behind him.

Now alone, aside for the caribou girl aside him, Gunne pondered the situation himself. Big Mac still didn’t sound one-hundred percent convinced, but perhaps there was some way to make sure he made the right decision. He went to his file cabinet and searched through the papers it held one by one in order to find an answer.

Heading back to his farm after leaving the town hall, Mac found himself ambling slowly as he thought over Gunne’s plan. It was true that mares that wore red collars were generally treated better, and that black collars were mostly picked on because they clearly showed their defiance around their throats. But Applejack would never agree to such a plan, even if he wanted to go through with it.

Her own personal pride as a pony would refuse to let her even feign submission to the will of those who had ruined the lives of so many, and lying went against her very nature. Having to go around fucking stallions to prove that she was willing was something that she’d be against, to say nothing of his own issues with it. As much as seeing her get raped on a monthly basis upset him, it wouldn’t compare to her having to fuck them herself and frequently enough to make them believe she had given in. It was a tough decision either way, to let her keep her dignity and possibly lose her or to make her lose that to make sure she wasn’t mistreated by some caribou in a place where he’d never see her again.

He went over the options time and time again, unable to decide which one was the right thing to do or even if he should bring this up to Applejack. Perhaps he needed a second opinion, someone unbiased to the situation, or at least more level headed than himself. Who could he talk to though? The caribou way of running things already made it so everyone showed what side they were on. The closest pony he could think of was Fiddly Faddle, who had told Mac that she did what her master ordered her to do, but still wore a black collar to show that she was against all of this. She’d be just as likely to tell Mac the plan was stupid, but maybe that was just what he needed to hear.

By the time he made it down the long dirt road from Ponyville and back around his farm the sun was starting to set and Mac noticed some dark clouds had filled the skies over his field, reminding him that there was a scheduled rain that night and while he needed to hear what Fiddle had to say, he might have to make it quick to avoid getting soaked. He might not even be able to talk to her at all if that mute caribou Thungrox decided to get in the way, but he had to try.

Speaking of the man, Mac could see him as he walked up the hill the farm sat atop. He was sitting on a bench placed just outside the entrance, finishing off one of the apples that he had purchased from Mac earlier that day. With him he could see two mares, the first one and most noticeable was Fluttershy. Even from a distance the stallion could tell that it was her laying on the bench with her head in Thungrox’s lap, easily recognizable by her bright colors and the red wing binders she wore.

The other mare there was standing at the end of the bench, just aside the caribou with her back to the stallion. Her legs were spread, and she was bent over and bracing herself the fence around the farm. Mac wasn’t very sure who the other mare could be, since all he could make out from this angle was her blue mane and tail, as well as splotches of yellow fur from beyond him. With each additional step though something started to click in his head, and before he close enough to the farm to be noticed he begun to walk around the mare to get a better look at her. Getting around her side, giving Mac a clear view of the mare’s face and music note cutiemark, he found out that it was the mare he had intended to speak with.

Fiddly, jaw clenched and teeth bared, looked to be in a lot of pain, and Mac could see why. Her stomach bulged out, making the mare have the appearance of being pregnant, and with the way she writhed and took hard, quick breaths, acted like she was in the midst of labor. Mac also noticed that something had been painted on her inflated belly, something round, red, with a brown and green bits at the top of it; an apple?

How could something like this happen? Mac had seen her just that morning and she was fine. Nothing could impregnate a mare and grow to that size at such a rate. What did that Thungrox do to her?

The answer came when the caribou tossed the core of the apple he was eating to the ground. His hand empty, he reached underneath Fiddly and pressed his fingers into her stomach. Fiddly let out a loud long, low scream, her legs struggling to stay straight from the pain she felt. She kept herself as still as she could, enduring the harsh touch, only allowing herself the slightest of tremors. To Mac’s horrified amazement the lips of his cousin’s mound opened up, allowing something red and round to be pushed out of her.

Thungrox placed his hand underneath the opening, ready to catch it was that he was forcing out of the mare’s vagina. With one last push from both Fiddly and the caribou, what was inside her popped out, revealing it as a large, bright red apple, one that Mac instantly realized must’ve come from the bushel he had sold the caribou.

Big Mac had to cover his mouth to stop a gasp from escaping. He had contributed to the suffering on one of his relatives. He had done it indirectly, but if he hadn’t sold Thungrox the apples then Fiddly wouldn’t’ve ended up like this. The rest of that bulging stomach had to be more of them too, turning a mare that had no business being at the animal farm in the first place into some sort of fruit dispenser. It only got worse when the apple was brought to Fluttershy’s muzzle, to which the pegasus opened her mouth and took a sizable bite out of the tainted apple. It was so overwhelming that Mac had to get away, fleeing before anyone saw he was even there, running as fast as his legs would take him back to his farm.

He took the shortest route back to Sweet Apple Acres, sprinting to the part of his farm’s fence that was closest to him. Placing a hand on the top plank, he leapt over it with ease, a rush of emotion guiding his body. Mac had only one thought, to get away from what he saw, and nothing would’ve stopped him. He didn’t even notice Lily Valley or Carrot Top, still finishing their chores in the fields, call out to him as he rushed by, or pay attention to how worried they were about him.

The stallion only stopped when he made it back to his home, slamming the door behind him and even locking it for good measure despite nothing pursuing him, as if doing so would keep out the vision still stuck in his head.

“Is everything okay master?” Mac heard from Roseluck, who was standing near the entrance of the door just as the stallion burst in, “You look like you’ve been chased by a pack of timberwolves.”

Gasping for air after his run, Mac took a few seconds to recover and catch his breath, “AJ, where is she?!”

“She’s still in your room resting,” Roseluck answered, “She asked where you went, but after that wouldn’t say a word to me.” Upon learning where his sister was, Mac rushed past Rose to head upstairs. After seeing Fiddly in the state she was, he had come to a decision. It was a tough one, but it had to happen. If not then stuff like this would just keep happening and the stallion just could let it go on if he could do anything about it.

Applejack, when he entered the room, wasn’t there. At first her not being there flared up his panic once more, but then he heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. Going across the hall, he finally relaxed when he saw her sitting on the edge the tub, cleaning off what remained of the cum that had covered her fur. Using a wet rag, running it across her body, paying special attention breasts, ass and pussy, practically having to rub them raw in order to remove the filth from herself.

“AJ!” Mac let out, still in a bit of a daze and unable to control his voice.

With the earth mare now aware of Mac, she tossed her rag aside, quickly going to her brother and embracing him in a hug. “Mac, Ah was so worried ‘bout you!” She said, stepping away and inspecting her brother. “What happen? Did they hurt you? If they did Ah swear I’ll...”

Mac was glad to see AJ worried about him and was glad that he didn’t get into a fight with Spike. Seeing how she reacted, she would’ve already been out the door if he had a single bruise on his body. “I’m fine, but I got some bad news. Ya might want to take a seat for this.”

Mac explained everything that had happened that day, starting with what happened with Gunne, since that was what AJ was most concerned about, and then leading into how he had seen Fiddly at Fluttershy’s ranch. He told her everything; that she was a black collar, that she was being punished by her owner because she was related to Applejack, and lastly about what had happened to her.

Applejack was appalled, “That… that… Caribou! I’m gonna-!”

“Nothin’” Mac said, “There’s nothin’ ya can do… not without…” There was one thing he had left out from what went on at the town hall, but he couldn’t put it off any longer, “Not without being taken away… Gunne told me so himself… After what you did you’re on your last legs.”

“So that’s it then?” said Applejack, “A caribou tortures your own kin with your own apples an’ y’all not gonna do anythin’ about it?”

“No… I’m gonna do something.” Mac prepared for the worst. He hated the plan, but as far as he could see it was the best thing he could do. “I’m gonna… get ya a red collar.”

AJ know what to say. At first she was sure she misheard him, then she thought he was crazy, then she wasn’t sure what she thought. “Excuse me?!”

“Listen, I know it sounds crazy.”

“Darn tootin it sounds crazy!” the mare yelled, rising up so she could look him dead in the eye. Being that close she could suddenly catch a faint smell in the air, “Have ya been hitting the cider?”

“Ah had a little with Gunne, but that’s not-”

“Ya had a drink with a caribou?! Ah… Ah can’t even look at ya right now!” AJ couldn’t believe what she was hearing, her own brother was palling around with a guy that he had told her was making the mayor of Ponyville his personal bitch. Pushing past the stallion, Applejack headed downstairs.

Mac chased after her, but kept his distance, “Ya aren’t listening to me. I’m not saying that ah want to make ya a red collar, just that ah want you to fake it in order to get everyone of our backs.” As he blurted out what he was trying out he could tell it was just making things worse.

“So on top of making me look like a traitor to all of Equestria ya want me to lie ‘bout it too, huh?!” Applejack reached the front door, throwing it open to show the dark and rainy skies outside.

“AJ, where’re ya going?” Mac asked, knowing he couldn’t talk her out of leaving if he tried.

All she said in response was “out” and then slammed the door.

With that Mac was left there, feeling awful for what he’d done. He never should’ve brought it up. He could go after her, but he trusted her judgement and believed that she wouldn’t try anything stupid, even if she was mad as heck. All she needed right now was some space and time to calm down.

Applejack stomped out into the fields, heading for the apple orchard. Droplets of water came down from up above, but she didn’t care. She had to get away, cool her head, before she attacked Mac for suggesting what he did. As mad as she was, she could see herself at least saying something that she’d regret later, and she didn’t want that. Mac was the only stallion she could trust, the only one she could stand to be around anymore. He didn’t deserve to be yelled at for just doing what he had to, but did he ever say something stupid up in that bathroom.

It was the caribou, the one that ran the town. He was the one that put a fool thought like that in Mac’s head, she just knew it. It boiled her blood, Mac being manipulated like that, making her feel hot all over. Then the frustration set in, making her want the opportunity to get back at the caribou. Gunne, the one at Fluttershy’s ranch, heck anyone would do right now. But with how things were, that she could be dragged off somewhere else on a moment’s notice, she couldn’t even try. Needing to lash out at something she took her anger out on one of the trees, kicking it so hard as she passed by that she knocked the bark right off and made every apple it held fall to the ground.

It wasn’t enough though, it wasn’t what she wanted. It wasn’t a caribou, or a stallion, or even one of those traitorous reds, so it didn’t do her a lick of good. She needed something else, something to ease the stress, something to give her release. While every ounce of her moral fiber told her this was neither the time or the place, she knew that there was only one way to relieve herself.

Finding the largest tree she could, AJ went to the side that faced away from the barn house and sat herself at it’s roots. The ground was wet and muddy, but that hardly registered to her; all she felt was a primal urge. She gave one last look around, just to make sure that no one else could see her, then spread her legs wide and plunged her hand down between them. She went slow at first, pressing the tips of her fingers softly against the soft skin of her lower lips, sliding them up and down as she let herself feel good from sexual stimulation for the first time in a long time.

While AJ was far from an expert when it came to pleasing males, she was well versed at what brought herself pleasure. This wasn’t the first time that she had hunkered down out in the fields, and thinking back to times when she would go someplace private, bring down her jean shorts and finger herself made her heart pound and her blood rush, spreading a warmth all over her body. She had resisted this for so long, the caribou turning what was once a natural action into something dirty, but right now she didn’t care.

The earth pony took hold of her breast, moving it around in her hand while pinching and twisting her nipple with her index finger and thumb. A few circular rubs on her clit soon joined in to increase the mare’s arousal, bringing her closer to the release she sought. With a few loud moans, not thinking anyone was around in this ever increasing bad weather, she worked up the nerve to shove her fingers inside, letting her feel the wet warmth contained inside her privates. Shame in her actions should’ve reached her by now, but her rough, anger fueled strokes were sending sparks through her that distracted her from any other thoughts except for a desire for revenge that she feared would never be fulfilled. It was still a pleasant dream to hold onto though, and what drove her to increase the dexterity of her fingers until to even greater speeds.

Letting herself get lost in the feeling, AJ’s goal of simple release turned into a quest for satisfaction. Perspiration and rain water drenched the mare and her crotch added a third fluid to the mixture with a splash every time she pushed inside herself. When her climax inevitably came to her it was spectacular, flooding her very being and reminding her of how good sex could feel when it wasn’t done against one’s will.

“Interesting…” said a voice from the darkness, “As resistant as you act and still you have no problem touching yourself out in the open.” Any pleasure AJ felt washed away instantly when she realized that she had been watched. Pulling her finger out of her soaked slit, she scrambled to get to her hooves. “No, please, don’t stop on my account.” said the figure of a caribou.

“You!” AJ said, stumbling to get her footing as the figure drew closer, allowing her to see it was Gunne, holding something in his hands that she couldn’t quite make out, “Ah know what you did to mah brother, gettin’ him drunk and planting ideas in his head!”

The caribou darted toward her, throwing what he held to the ground and before AJ could react he pushed her against the tree, holding her back by her shoulder with one hand as his other arm pressed against her neck. “You are a female,” he told the pony struggling against him, “Don’t presume to know anything.”

Applejack used her hands to grasp the caribou’s arm, putting all she could into moving it away enough so she could speak. “Then ya aren’t going to admit to telling him to make me a red collar?”

“I suggested the idea to him,” Gunne admitted freely, “And it seems he agreed with it. So the only problem now is you.”

“Fuck you!” AJ lifted her leg, ready to send a devastating kick into Gunne’s gut. It looked like she’s be able to take out some of her frustration on a caribou after all. She was almost ready to attack, but just before she could she felt Gunne release his grip and her other leg knocked out from underneath her. Next thing she knew she was falling and ended up face first into a large puddle of mud.

“I know about your capabilities Applejack,” Gunne stated, “I’ve looked at the information that we have on you. You might be strong in those legs of yours, but the moment you try to kick you leave yourself open for anyone focused on you. It’s no wonder you were captured so easily.”

Applejack lifted herself to her knees and spat. Second time in two days she had a mouth full of mud and she was not enjoying the flavor any more than the last time. “So what? Ya gonna go ‘head a rape me? Ah won’t make it easy for ya,” she said in defiance.

“I told you once before girl, I have no interest in you,” Gunne searched the ground around him, looking for what he had thrown down before he pinned AJ against the tree. “I was coming to see Mac, to make sure he made the right choice, and to convince him otherwise if he didn’t,” Finding what he was looking for, Gunne reached down and picked up two folders. “But perhaps you should see what I brought for him instead.”

AJ, getting out of the mud, stood up went over to Gunne. She was outmatched, the caribou watching and waiting for her to try another attack, so for now she would see what he was going on about. There was nothing that could be in those folders that would change her mind anyways.

Or at least that’s what she thought until she saw what was inside. The papers inside showed information on one of her cousins, Apple Cider. Like Mac, Applejack had heard next to nothing about what was happening with the rest of her extended family. When she had heard that Fiddly was a black collar it made her feel good that the rest of her kin were resisting just like she was. For the caribou though, resistance was only tolerated so far and when you went too far out of line they took extreme measures to put you in your place. So when she saw the word “Blanked” stamped over the sheet of paper that listed every detail about Apple Cider, her hometown, her age, even an image of her cutiemark crossed out in a black X, making it impossible for any doubt that it was the right pony.

She still didn’t want to believe it, searching through the pages for anything that would prove that this was a forgery, eventually coming across an image of a mare strapped into a machine, completely devoid of hair and fur, leaving a pale pink shell. There were no defining marks on her, nothing that would be able to tell her apart from any other mare in the same state, but when AJ looked into they pony’s vacant blue eyes she knew that it was her cousin, and it made Applejack’s heart sink.

Blanking was the caribou’s ultimate form of control, using a device to completely remove a pony’s personality, going so far as to remove their cutie mark and with it their very destiny. It left them as a blank shell that the caribou could then turn into whatever they desired, taking away any form of free will or choice that pony ever had.

Applejack flipped Apple Cider’s folder behind the other one she held, opening the next one without a moment’s hesitation. Another sorrowful feeling shot through her when she saw that another one of her cousins, Apple Dumpling, had also been marked as blanked. She shifted through the pages much quicker this time, needing the see the photograph she knew would be there to make sure. What she found wasn’t another image of a blanked pony, but of an extremely busty earth mare surrounded by naked stallions, grabbing two of their penises while sucking off a third. She was obscured by the semen that drenched her body, and her mane had been changed from red to blond and her fur from green to pink, but AJ still somehow knew the truth. It was enough to bring the strong mare to tears.

“You see Applejack,” said Gunne, “You inspire those in your family to do things they shouldn’t. These two heard about how much you resisted everything that we tried to do to teach you about where you belong, and decided that they should do the same. They joined up with one of the rebel factions and were quickly caught. Needless to say it turned out poorly for them.”

Applejack stood there silently, her mind refusing to accept what she was hearing. Two of her family members had been blanked because they followed her example. It turned her stomach, to know that she would never see either of their smiling faces ever again, or if she did it would be when they were completely different mares than who they once were. The only thing she could do was hand the two files back so she no longer had to look at them.

“You’ve caused enough trouble with your petty rebellious acts Applejack, bringing suffering not just to yourself but to everyone that follows your example. I’m not going to allow you to take Mac down with you as well.” Gunne turned away from the mare, heading off away from the farm. “Become a red collar. I don’t care if you have to fake a smile every time a cock goes down your throat, just make it believable.”

Back at the farmhouse, Mac waited patiently for AJ to return. His eyes never looked away from the front door and seldom blinked as he sat on the couch. The other girls had all come inside the moment the rain started hitting hard, asking him why Applejack had stormed off in such a hurry, as well as why he looked so depressed. He explained that it was his fault, that he had said something to upset her and that he would deal with it when she got back. Sending everyone else to bed for the night, the stallion wanting to fix what he had done alone.

He had made a mistake in sharing Gunne’s plan with her, that he realized now. The stallion could only hope that it didn’t send her over the edge. For all Mac knew she could’ve run away or anything else for that matter, but he had faith that she just went out to cool her head and nothing more.

The door opened, allowing a soaked, muddy Applejack to come in. She looked miserable, but Mac assumed that the rain was mostly to blame for that. Regardless, the first thing he did was greet his sister with a big hug as she did before.

“AJ, thank goodness,” He said, glad to have his sister back home.

The next thing he heard were the words “Let’s give it a try” uttered from AJ’s mouth.

“Give what a try?” He asked, she couldn’t have meant..

“Your red collar plan. Ah think… Ah think it’s worth a try… at least.” Applejack replied and she wiped her eyes.

“What made ya change your mind?” Mac asked curiously, yet somewhat relieved that she was willing to give the red collar idea a shot.

AJ couldn’t tell him the truth. Family was everything to Mac, learning about the fates of Apple Cider and Apple Dumpling would destroy him. “Ah just thought it over and figured you were right all along. If we don’t do somethin’ they’ll take me away, so let’s do somethin’” He could never know, and as long as she pretended to obey he wouldn’t have to feel the pain of losing a loved one. She only hoped that she wasn’t so good a liar that she started to believe herself.